'Therapy makes a difference in people's lives'

Published: Friday, May 17, 2013 at 04:48 PM.

Ashlan McSwain has always had two passions: the outdoors and helping others.

“Since childhood, I have loved being active, whether it was playing sports, or just being outdoors,” said McSwain, a graduate of Crest High School. “I also have a desire for helping people.”

When she started searching for college majors, she found recreational therapy.

“I felt like recreational therapy was my best chance to combine these two passions,” she said.

Part of her inspiration, she said, was her parents. McSwain said they encouraged her to do something that would make her happy.

So, McSwain began volunteering. She worked with adults participating in the Special Olympics during basketball and softball seasons. She volunteered at the Cataloochee Ski Area for two seasons, helping people with autism, cerebral palsy and blindness learn how to ski. She has helped with therapy sessions for older adults with dementia, as well as elementary-age children at a local school.

Ashlan McSwain has always had two passions: the outdoors and helping others.

“Since childhood, I have loved being active, whether it was playing sports, or just being outdoors,” said McSwain, a graduate of Crest High School. “I also have a desire for helping people.”

When she started searching for college majors, she found recreational therapy.

“I felt like recreational therapy was my best chance to combine these two passions,” she said.

Part of her inspiration, she said, was her parents. McSwain said they encouraged her to do something that would make her happy.

So, McSwain began volunteering. She worked with adults participating in the Special Olympics during basketball and softball seasons. She volunteered at the Cataloochee Ski Area for two seasons, helping people with autism, cerebral palsy and blindness learn how to ski. She has helped with therapy sessions for older adults with dementia, as well as elementary-age children at a local school.

'They can succeed'

Last week, McSwain finished a 15-week internship at Youth Villages in Douglasville, Ga., a residential facility for at-risk youth with different problem behaviors.

“I work with boys ages 7 to 18, leading several recreational therapy groups per week,” said McSwain.

Some of the types of recreational therapy offered there included games and sports, horsemanship, caving, and a ropes course.

“I think horsemanship was probably one of the best ones,” she said. “The kids that were there had so many different backgrounds, stuff that was traumatic. Some of them had been abandoned. They could be really hateful, but whenever they got around the horses, they changed and wanted to treat the animal well.”

McSwain said learning to ride horses boosted the children’s confidence and made them happy. She also said the ropes course was very helpful.

“When they got to the high elements, you could also see them being nervous about going up high. Many of them said, ‘I’m not going to do this.’ Once they pushed themselves, you could see how proud they were of themselves,” she said. “They can succeed even though they don’t think they can.”

'Others' encouragement'

Another exercise that McSwain said proved to be a learning experience was caving.

“Our supervisor, he was taking some of his kids on the unit he worked with caving. We were in there for about four hours. A lot of the places were tight squeezes and you had to be led through them. You had very little room,” said McSwain.

At times, the spaces were so small the kids had to crawl through them.

“Some of them were like, ‘I don’t think I can do it.’ We encouraged them and they got through. It’s like the tight places you’ve been in before in life,” she said.

The kids were able to relate the experience to other experiences they have and were able to realize that they can get through things.

“They had to count on others’ encouragement,” said McSwain.

'Focusing on the strengths of the person'

For her recreational therapy work, McSwain was recently recognized as student of the year by the N.C. Recreational Therapy Association.

She says recreational therapy is a huge difference-maker.

“Recreational therapy makes a difference in people’s lives by focusing on the strengths of the person rather than their weaknesses,” she said.

It bases their treatment on their interests and needs and lets them participate in activities they already love or ones they are introduced to by the therapist.

The ultimate goal of the therapy is for the individual to achieve a better level of well-being, so they can continue the recreational activities independently.

'What I want to be doing'

McSwain said her experiences at Youth Villages solidified her ambition that recreational therapy is what she wants to do. Some of the youth that gave her the hardest time were also the most rewarding.

“Whenever they would have a good day, or whenever we were approaching the end of my 15 weeks there, they would tell me thank you or say something positive about how they enjoyed me being there, that kind of made a difference,” she said. “You don’t expect them to appreciate what you’re doing. But they would tell me they’re going to miss me. It reminded me that this is definitely what I want to be doing.”

Recently, McSwain became a nationally Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist. She also graduated from Western Carolina University. In the future, she wants to work with youth in an outdoor or adventure setting.

“I am also considering getting my master's degree in Recreational Therapy. I would love to coach young people in basketball or softball,” she said.

What is recreational therapy?

Recreational therapy (RT) is a holistic treatment that focuses on improving or rehabilitating the physical, emotional, social, and/or spiritual aspects of a person’s wellbeing through various active approaches.